Ninety per cent of new UK jobs require digital literacy – yet firms are struggling to find candidates who can fulfil these needs.

Three in four businesses say they are facing a shortage of digital skills in their workforce.

And those looking to develop their careers also recognise there is a problem – less than half 18 to 25 year-olds believe their education gives them the skills they need to enter today’s workforce.

This alarming data has been gathered by The Good Things Foundation, the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity.

But there is help at close at hand to combat this issue.

Google is offering free face-to-face digital skills coaching at the Google Digital Garage in Birmingham city centre, at 134b New Street .

The internet giant is hoping to help 100,000 people across Gloucestershire and UK to find work, grow their career and business confidence through their free training sessions in Google Digital Garages, which can also be found in cities including Manchester and Sheffield.

The Gloucester Citizen and Gloucestershire Live are working in partnership with Google to help more people to access this service.

The Google Digital Garage is open seven days a week

Over the next six weeks we will be bringing you news on the latest courses and services offered at the Digital Garage, stories from people in our community who have already reaped benefits and plans for the future.

The Google Digital Garage in Birmingham is open seven days a week – with visitors having the option to either book in advance or simply drop by for on-the-spot help.

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The training ranges from beginner to intermediate levels, meaning anyone can come and take part.

Topics covered include:

Taking your first steps online;

How to build your digital CV and personal brand online; and

Social media strategy.

According to think tank IPPR North, nine out of ten people who complete courses through the Google Digital Garage make changes to the way they promote and run their business online, and two out of three see some positive results in sales, bookings, traffic or followers.

Barberology has seen 88% more customers since founder Adam Gore attended training sessions with Google

An example of a business that has thrived since visiting the Digital Garage is barber shop Barberology, started by Adam Gore.

After attending two training sessions and several follow-ups, including 1:1 coaching, Adam had learnt how to optimise his website for better search engine rankings, as well as important social media skills to support his business.

Two years on, Barberology was ranked first in Google search in twenty-two search terms in Birmingham, and has served 88 per cent more customers.

The company has become so successful that Adam has now expanded and opened two more barber shops, as well as taking home the coveted ‘Best Barbershop in Britain’ award.

And it is not just about business.

With research showing that nine in ten members of the UK public say that they feel concerned about their online safety and security, visitors can also attend sessions on how to protect themselves online thanks to a new partnership between Google and Which?

The aim is to help people learn how to spot and avoid the latest and most common online scams and threats, with simple steps that everybody can apply easily in their daily lives.